PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Dec. 23, 2014) – With a population of over eight million people, the Government has tasked the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary to increase its strength from 5000 to 10,000 personnel in 2015.

This was revealed by acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Jim Andrews when addressing the pass out parade at the Bomana Police College outside Port Moresby yesterday.

"We all applaud you for braving the hectic training drills and successfully making it this far but I must warn you also that life out there is extremely tough and you all must be prepared to take on challenges," he said.

He said the job, even though risky, is filled with many rewards and adventures.

Mr Andrews, who was the reviewing officer at the parade, challenged members of the RPNGC to put God first and be committed to their job if they wanted to set...

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, Dec. 20, 2014) – As the Cook Islands get ready to celebrate 50 years of self-government, plans for a year-long party are in full swing.

Anniversary steering committee head Nick Henry says plans are well under way to make 2015 a truly memorable year for the Cook Islands’ as the nation marks 50 years of self-government in free association with New Zealand. ‘Inspire, engage, and celebrate’, are the three main themes for the celebration, which has been allocated a $500,000 budget.

"I presented the plans to both Cabinet and the Opposition caucus and they were well-received by both parties," Henry says.

A competition for a logo to represent the celebrations is down to two designs and Henry hopes a final decision will be made soon.

But reflection on the past 50 years is needed for the country to look forward, and the recent political turmoil is a...

The Chief Clerk of the Tongan Parliament, Ms Gloria Pole’o, said that the nomination was tabled by the People’s Representative for Ha’apai Constituent No. 12, Vili Manuopangai Hingano.

She said that the name of the nominee could not be made public until the election day when the 26 newly elected members of parliament will vote in a secret ballot to decide who will be the next Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for a group of seven independent PRs, ‘Etuate Lavulavu, told Matangi Tonga last week that the independent PRs and the nine Nobles’ Representatives had agreed to nominate Samiu Vaipulu, the Vava’u PR for Constituent No. 15 as their nominee for Prime Minister. Vaipulu is currently the care-taker Deputy Prime Minister.

Caledonia Together Party’s Gomes Hopes To Seize Control Gomes returns from Paris: ‘No point in maintaining illusion of unity’

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 23, 2014) – The leader of the Caledonia Together Party has pitched for his party to take more control of the new territorial government after last week's government collapse.

The government fell after the party of Philippe Gomes resigned from the collegial administration only six months into a five-year term, thereby ending a power-sharing agreement within the anti-independence camp.

Mr Gomes, who has returned from Paris where he represents the territory in the French National Assembly, says the agreement was only possible in the first place because his party, as the biggest one, was prepared to accommodate the rival pro-French groups.

Speaking on local radio in Noumea, Mr Gomes says there is no point in maintaining an illusion of unity, blaming the Front for Unity and...

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Dec. 22, 2014) – A Nauru opposition MP has described the island as a dictatorship, after the country's Supreme Court upheld the suspension of five MPs for speaking to foreign media.

The MPs were suspended earlier this year, accused of bringing the country into international disrepute or "behaving in an unruly manner".

It followed comments regarding the government's treatment of the former chief justice, Australian Geoffrey Eames, who had his visa revoked in January and resigned in March.

One of the suspended MPs, Roland Kun, said the ruling by the new chief justice "will further entrench the current dictatorship".

"That is exactly what is happening on the island," Mr Kun said.

"When the current government first came into power the first thing they did was to ban the Nauru media from speaking to us, either on radio or on television....

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (The Samoa News, Dec. 22, 2014) – As the leadership of the Republican controlled U.S House drafts rules and policies for the new Congress which convenes next month, a House Democratic leader has urged the Republican leadership to extend voting privileges to congressional delegates from the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories to vote in the Committee of the Whole.

The request was made in a Dec. 19 letter from U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Democratic Whip, to U.S. Rep. Peter Sessions, chairman of the House Committee on Rules. Hoyer says that granting such privilege shows the Delegates "a respect for their status and for the millions of Americans they represent."

Among those sent copies of Hoyer’s letter is American Samoa’s Congresswoman-elect Aumua Amata, who was asked by Samoa News last Friday for comments and reaction to the request.

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, Dec. 23, 2014) – Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna has finally broken his silence on threats against his government by the Democratic Party, alleging he is here to stay.

In a rare public statement Prime Minister Henry Puna says his position as Prime Minister is ‘clear and stable’, describing recent moves by the Democratic Party as sparked by ‘desperation’.

"We are mindful that the Democratic Party offered Teina Bishop the Prime Minister’s post along with a Ministerial post for George Maggie in exchange for One Cook Islands support," he says.

"We cannot comment on their negotiations except to say that this is a clear sign of desperation by the Demos to get into Government at all costs, even though they are aware that the police investigation involving Bishop is still pending."

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 24, 2014) – Indonesia's human rights watchdog has demanded the Government investigate recent shootings in Papua, in which five school students were killed.

The National Commission of Human Rights, or Komnas Ham, recommends a joint fact-finding mission including the army, the police, and local leaders.

Following an alleged incident of police brutality against a fellow school student, the large group of protesters had gathered on December the 8th, with many dressed in school uniforms.

Authorities allegedly opened fire on the peaceful protesters, killing five and injuring 17 more. Among the injured were several primary school students.

Both police and the army were present and have been blamed.

Allegations of the initial incident include that police beat 11 children, aged between eight and 16 years old, after they scolded him for...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 24, 2014) – The new finance minister of Solomon Islands says tax reforms will be a priority for his ministry under the democratic coalition for change government.

Also a former prime minister, the MP for Marovo, Snyder Rini, says he hopes to help steer the country out of the economic slump it has experienced after a major flood disaster in April this year.

" First of all I have to go into the ministry and see what's going on there. And try to see, what should be done to move the country forward. As I have said that our main task there is to, grow the economy."

Mr Rini said it is too early to go into the details of the new Government's fiscal policies but he feels more can be done to ease the tax burden on an already struggling private sector.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Dec. 23, 2014) – Indonesia is defending its practice of blowing up foreign ships caught fishing illegally in its waters after the destruction of two Papua New Guinea-flagged fishing vessels.

The ships, the Century IV and Century VII, were caught earlier this month off the south coast of Merauke in Indonesia's Papua province near the sea border with PNG.

While the ships were flying the PNG flag, the crew were all Thai.

The Jakarta Post reports that the Indonesian Navy arrested 62 crewmen in the raids and turned several over to Immigration.

The vessels, reportedly caught illegally fishing, will be the fourth and fifth ships sunk by Indonesia in recent weeks.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.